Empowerment and Illumination

"Those moments of empowerment and illumination are built on the foundation of hard work that often doesn't look either shining or glorious" Linda Christensen, Teaching for Joy and Justice.

We have had lots of moments of empowerment and illumination lately. Students have been working hard on some long term projects and they are producing some shining and glorious work.
Third graders have begun using the Independent Investigative Method to research methods of preserving memories. They will shortly decide how they want to share what they have learned.

Fourth graders finished their censorship study. After researching the current topic of the SOPA and PIPA bills, they enjoyed a debate. They learned a great deal, and were shown how the Internet can be used to create change. Through an Internet blackout and activism, the SOPA and PIPA bills were removed from the senate and house.

Fifth graders have been working hard on their autobiographies. It was hard work writing the essay and going through two edits to improve it, but the students are very proud of their essay. All the essays were combined and printed for each student to read and share. It was exciting to see the final project.

The fifth graders have also been working on learning contracts for a while. Many are finally finishing their projects. We have had a movie produced, posters, Lap books, ABC books and costume designs created recently. It is fantastic to see kids get to take a passion, work hard to gain knowledge, and then share their learning in a creative way.